Thousands of computers were infected with Ransomware because routine preventative measures had not been taken

Share

Get Daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

IT experts have urged Scottish firms to focus their attention on updating their systems as it emerged that the recent global Ransomware attack that crippled the NHS and others took hold because routine software updates were ignored.

Read More

Gerry Grant, chief ethical hacker at the SBRC, said firms should “first and foremost” ensure that all Microsoft updates have been applied.

“Thousands of computers were infected with ransomware – and it was able to have such an impact because routine preventative measures had not been taken,” Grant said. The centre strongly recommends that systems are habitually updated as soon as those updates become available, “however disruptive or inconvenient at the time”.

“It can be too easy to put this off and click the 'remind me tomorrow' option,” he added. “Unfortunately, it can take a highly-publicised attack such as this to affect behaviour.”

Read More

The SBRC said there is a patch available from Microsoft which closes the vulnerability that allows WannaCry to spread. It additionally recommends the use of up-to-date anti-virus software, and regular data back-ups that will greatly assist in the event of a successful attack.

Businesses should also check whether their computer network uses the SMBv1 protocol for file sharing, which is the way the virus has been spreading across networks. This protocol is outdated, and new versions are available.

“We say it so often, but the prospect of a cyber attack can be incredibly daunting for the less tech-savvy and the temptation can be to bury heads in the sand,” Grant adds. “In reality, the simplest of measures such as those outlined in the Cyber Essential scheme will put off the vast majority of criminal hackers – who tend to cast a wide net.”